Groper on the loose in Seattle

The latest groping happened near near 36th Avenue South and South Oregon Street. (Google Maps)

A groper is on the loose in South Seattle, and police say the same man may be linked to similar attacks in the area.

About 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, a woman was outside of her apartment near 36th Avenue South and South Oregon Street when she heard someone running up the stairs behind her.

“A man wearing a mask approached the woman, put his hand over her mouth, told her to be quiet, and then groped her,” Seattle Police spokesman Jonah Spangenthal-Lee said. “The woman fell to the ground and screamed for help, and the suspect fled.

“A neighbor heard the woman’s screams, helped her into an apartment and called 911.”

The woman said her attacker was about 5-foot-10, thin, and wore a brown jacket and black pants. A police dog couldn’t track him.

In similar incidents from last December, a masked man approached women outside their South Seattle homes, grabbed them and fled when the women fought back.

Victims in those cases said their attacker was a black man, age 18 to 29, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and roughly 150 pounds. The suspect in those cases had a black or dark blue coat, hooded sweatshirt and black or dark blue cargo pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sexual Assault Unit at (206) 684-5575.